I hope you stick around for the short post but I want to include this information before getting into the nitty-gritty **If you are struggling with your mental health and need someone to talk to please call theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here to start an online chat for free and confidential support. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line via SMS message at 741-741 for free crisis intervention. *please note that the numbers listed above are available resources to those in the United States*
The inspiration for this post was a picture of a sign I saw on Instagram that said “IT’S OK IF UR STILL HURTING FROM SOMETHING U THOUGHT YOU’D HEALED FROM, IT’S OK IF UR PROGRESS SEEMS BACKWARDS OR FEELS SLOW, IT’S OK IF YOU’VE STILL GOT SOME HEALING TO DO“.
Today is World Mental Health Day! And that is important. I write and publish blog posts about my struggles (and there are so, so many of them. I honestly don’t understand why the writer’s block thing is an issue??😂) but this blog gives me an outlet most people don’t have. I’ve had and still have a great support system of family and friends since the worst day of my life and there’s really no telling where I’d be without them. I know that lowest of lows feeling. I’ve been to the point of hoping I don’t wake up many, many times but I’m lucky enough to have made it through. I know shit can be absolutely terrible but I’m also proof it eventually does get better. And I’m here to talk if you need someone to listen or relate or help. I’m here to make sure everyone else is able to say “I’ve been to the point of hoping I don’t wake up many, many times but I’m lucky enough to have made it through”.
-A
**If you are struggling with your mental health and need someone to talk to please call theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here to start an online chat for free and confidential support. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line via SMS message at 741-741 for free crisis intervention. *please note that the numbers listed above are available resources to those in the United States*
If you’re new to my blog, Welcome!! Here and here are a few posts to better explain this one.
It’s been a while since I started a post without a “this is going to be a bummer/no positive updates over here” disclaimer but I am happy to report that things have changed. Kind of…this actually isn’t a complete bummer of an update but it might make you feel some feels, which is completely understandable. I’ve been feeling the feels since I started working on it a few weeks ago…
I’ve worked my way up to brewing at work (I work at a brewery, which is a relevant detail) and earlier this year had the incredible opportunity to brew on a collaboration with Bottleshare, the same organization that worked with my brewery to create a fundraiser to help me after Taylor died. There is absolutely nothing about the last two and a half years of my life that I ever expected to happen. As far as I was concerned I had my life planned out without really accepting it could all change. And…that’s exactly what happened. My life took a drastic change for the worse. But then there was a group of folks who came in when I needed it the most. A bunch of people were just there. They were there for me, there for our family. Just there to make sure we all made it to see another day. The family and friends who helped pack and organize a move so I never had to go back to mine and Taylor’s house. The friends who, without any hesitation, came to visit me every day after work to make sure I wasn’t alone all while dealing with their own grief over losing T. There are so many people who may have known me but might not have known Taylor, or may not have known me but did know Taylor, who donated to the fundraiser that helped me survive the worst thing ever. This collaboration was my chance to give back and attempt to return the support and love I felt after losing my husband. Losing your spouse shouldn’t be anything anyone experiences. It’s really, really shitty and I wish I didn’t have the firsthand knowledge to confirm it. If there is any positive from this post it’s to know you can help folks who find themselves in the unimaginable situation I was in back in 2019. The collaboration I was part of helps other people in the industry who are experiencing a hardship. I honestly don’t think there is any way for me to express how thankful I am for the support I received after Taylor died. It took a lot of stress off of my plate and I’m so grateful to be here to experience everything coming back full circle. Now get ready for a bunch of pictures because I am feeling all of the feelings ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Taylor and I having a beer at SSBC with some of our favorite folks
I sure do miss that guy more than anything and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Taylor had a way of making sure everyone was having a great time and it is still hard to believe we’ve spent two and a half years without that positive, fun-loving person here with us.
The collab crew, minus a few out of town folks
I feel like it is only fair that I give you an update on my life and unfortunately that is where this post takes a turn like the last ones (unless you felt all of the feelings with the pics earlier). Things are….ok? I’m in a much better place than the last two and a half years but I’m still dealing with the OCD and the anxiety, depression, and insomnia that I’ve had since Taylor passed away. But I’m doing my best to work on it and that should be good enough. It is for me, at least, and it has taken me a long time to feel comfortable saying it.
Pretending like I have it all together. Or not. My face says otherwise
What an update, amirite? Probably not where you expected it to go, although TBH it’s probably better than the last few posts, but I hope it was still helpful. Or inspirational. Or whatever the point of my writing has been. Regardless, cheers to Taylor, to my incredible family and friends, and to every single person who was able to lend support with this collaboration. It was the most fun I’ve had at work in a long, long time ever. And that is a pretty great feeling.
Collaboration label. The beer release was on 2/22/22, the week of the brewery’s 90’s themed anniversary party
If you are interested in donating to Bottleshare, follow this link and let ‘er rip tater chip. If you’re over the age of 21, live in the Atlanta area/can pick up your online order, and want to buy a 4 pack of our collab beer then follow this link. If you want to support the cause but maybe can’t donate or purchase please feel free to share this post. I’ll be forever grateful and I know that the folks Bottleshare helps going forward will feel the same. Let’s raise glasses and save asses!!
For more information/updates on Bottleshare check out their Facebook and Instagram pages. If, for whatever reason, you want updates on this big ol’ loser and some of the beer stuff I work on then give me a follow on Instagram.
–A
I know I usually include the title inspiration at the beginning of my posts but it felt weird this time because the song really hits close to home with how Taylor died. Please give it a listen, though. It is absolutely worth it
Well it’s been a year and a half and I am happy to report that I am back (after much turmoil involving this account) and I wish I could tell ya this was going to be a super inspirational post but tbh it probably isn’t. Or at least it isn’t going to start that way. So buckle up, my dudes.
I’m going to say something that no one wants to hear but I know anyone who’s experienced loss will agree with: if I can’t go back and prevent Taylor from passing away then I’d take the next “best” thing. Going back to the weeks after he died where I didn’t have to move on. Just existing was enough. I didn’t have to worry about accomplishing anything aside from physically getting out of bed to show I wasn’t going to let the overwhelming depression get the best of me. The problem is that overwhelming depression and sadness never goes away. It’s been almost two years and I still struggle, especially this time of year. It doesn’t get any easier, it just gets manageable to the point it looks like I have it all together. If you know me, and even if you don’t I’ll go ahead and let you know anyway, I do not have it all together.
They say comparison is the thief of joy and, let me tell ya, it’s the honest truth. Even before November 28, 2020, which marked a year since Taylor died, I was berating myself for not having my shit together like most people my age. I didn’t have a house or a family. I’d spent most of the summer sitting on the couch and watching every cooking show available because COVID drastically changed the taproom operations of the brewery I work at. I had so much free time and I still didn’t have anything to show for it. For some reason I was putting the pressure on myself that I would never put on anyone else (this is not the first time this has happened). And honestly I’m probably being way too hard on other people without knowing what they might be going through. It all takes me back to that awful day in December 2019, shortly after Taylor died, when I went to Target to try and get a few Christmas presents for my family. I was so overwhelmed by ALL OF THE THINGS that I froze in the middle of the store. Everyone was in a hurry, everyone was so excited about the upcoming holiday that I couldn’t keep up and my body physically froze in an isle and I started crying. That was one of the many low points I’ve had in the last two years. I never want to be the person who makes someone feel the way I did in that Target. I’ve learned a lot about myself the last year and I truly think the biggest takeaway is remembering how I felt that day and knowing, at the very least, the best thing I can do to help someone else struggling is to be patient and understanding. There was nothing anyone could have done to help me. I just needed a minute to catch up. And I did. It just took way, way longer than the minutes I spent in that stupid aisle crying surrounded by strangers buying Christmas presents. I am still catching up, I just don’t need to stop and cry it out as often. And I definitely don’t let my stupid OCD brain try and tell me that I am falling behind on all of the life milestones when I made it through absolute hell November 2019
It is almost impossible for me to tell you the significance of me finally being able to log in to this blog today. Two years ago today this picture was taken.
Both of the people in this picture were struggling. We were overwhelmed and depressed and didn’t know how we would ever get out of it. The problem is I didn’t realize the struggle Taylor was dealing with. Part of it was his pride, but the kind of pride where you feel like you have to be the support for everyone else, and part of it was me being so wrapped up in my own shit that I didn’t really see how much he needed help. I have spent so many days and nights thinking about anything and everything I could have and should have done differently that night. Things were bad. Since I can’t go back and change the past, no matter how much I would if I could, the best thing I can do now is to use whatever tiny platform I have to tell anyone who will listen to reach out. Reach out if you are worried about someone. Reach out if you need to talk or if you are struggling. Just please, please reach out. Life is crazy and there is absolutely no reason any of us should be doing it alone.
please don’t stop reading now because I still have more to say and it isn’t quite as depressing
Oh yea! This is a blog about OCD. I almost forgot since I haven’t created content, especially OCD related content, in so long. It’s actually kind of funny and I’m sure someone way smarter than me with some sort of fancy degree would be able to explain why the obsessions and compulsions seemed to take a back seat after losing T. I only have a geography degree but I can confirm that the obsessions and compulsions took a back seat. HOWEVER I can also confirm that they have started to slowly creep their way back in the more comfortable I feel. Comfortable? I don’t know if that’s the right word. The more normal? I don’t know how to describe it but I’m hoping y’all know what I mean. I started working full time again (hello production team!) which meant I was back to a routine. I have the distraction of work, which is great. But as we all know with the great comes the bad and, for me at least, the bad meant I started using work as an excuse to ignore all of the things I knew I couldn’t ignore forever. For example, I have started checking to make sure the stove is off before I leave for work (this actually poses even more of an issue because I have to be at work at 7:00am and my ability to sleep has not improved at all. My picking has gone into overdrive. Sooo I think it’s safe to say I’ve been distracting myself from truly dealing with/feeling the things I know I need to deal with/feel.
Took this right after putting this post together to prove the picking is still just as bad as ever
I’m not sure where this post was supposed to go. It has been so long that I kind of just combined the 5+ notes I created on my phone when I couldn’t sleep for the last year and a half. I suppose it was more of a venting session to show I am doing my best but also because I know I’m not the only one who feels like they are just doing their best right now. Doing our best is better than doing nothing and I am in no place to tell you otherwise. Personally, I think doing my best is better than doing nothing at all because doing nothing at all just made me feel even worse. The biggest thing is that I know I am going to be ok and I hope anyone else going through a rough patch knows they will be ok too.
-A
**Things got a bit real in this post and I feel like it is important to include this information** If you are struggling with your mental health and need someone to talk to please call theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here to start an online chat for free and confidential support. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line via SMS message at 741-741 for free crisis intervention. *please note that the numbers listed above are available resources to those in the United States*
I hope you’re still here because I had to add this little at the end of all the serious stuff because it made me laugh out loud when I realized I had to update my About Me since I am no longer a twenty-something. Time flies ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Spotify users! Be sure to follow my UPDATED SUPER AWESOMEobsessive-compulsive diaries playlist for some of my favorite groovy tunes. It is a delightfully random mix of new songs and old songs from a bunch of different genres. It’s a great playlist if you need a good dance party or if you need a cry. Or a crying dance party.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted and part of that is because I have been busy, but mostly I wanted to be strategic about how I share what is going on. It’s no secret that I have anxiety and OCD. That is why I started this blog. I use my own humor and sarcasm to help cope with everything, which up until recently had worked. But another way I cope is by closing off and bottling up. The worse I feel, the quieter I stay (spoiler alert: this never ends well).
Me playing it totes cool when things are, in fact, not totes cool.
It’s no secret that 2018 has been a hard year. I’ve struggled with just about everything that’s been thrown my way. Last Thursday was when I finally reached the tipping point. I had a phone session with my therapist. She urged me to go get an assessment at a mental health institute. She knew I wasn’t suicidal but she held firm on her wish for me to be evaluated. My first thought was how to tell my family. I’ve been closed off, pretending I was fine when I really, really wasn’t, and now I had to explain to my parents and my husband (who was out of state for work) that I needed to be evaluated ASAP {as possible}. Not tomorrow or over the weekend. I needed it now/yesterday/a week ago. I knew they would be blindsided. Everyone likes to think, myself included, that if we had a family member or close friend in crisis that they would know that they could come to me with zero judgement. But when the crisis comes and you’ve spent so much time and energy pretending that things are ok it’s a completely different game. After work, my mom picked me up and took me to the facility. We got there at 8:45. We waited. My brother brought me something to eat and hung out with us in the waiting room. After being evaluated and hearing the treatment plan that the doctor recommended it was almost 5:00 am. My mom was still there. My brother was still there. They came in and heard from the clinician what the doctor felt was best. Partial hospitalization. It didn’t (and still doesn’t, honestly) feel real. It seems like such an extreme measure for someone who is just going through a difficult time. The problem was that I had surpassed difficult time. I wasn’t a danger to myself or others but I wasn’t in a good space. I was in a terrible space and no matter how hard I tried nothing seemed to pull me out of it.
I’m still totally new to what is going on (I started yesterday) and I’m not going to lie, there are multiple times a day that I still think I can do this on my own. The truth is that I can’t, though, and I am in a situation where I can take the much needed time to work on myself. I hope that anyone reading this who happens to find themselves in a similar situation (ideally that would be no one but the reality is that it is highly likely), please know that you aren’t in it alone. Trust me. I write a blog chronicling my struggle with anxiety and OCD (depression has been the added bonus!) but I still felt like I was alone. Keep in mind that at the very least you have the girl who fumbles through a blog (and life, tbh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) who can relate. Don’t ever be ashamed of what you need to do in order to take care of your mental health.
I’m here to be your biggest fan…*looks around hoping someone appreciatesmy dad joke*
So what does this mean for my irregular blog posts? Well, hopefully, I can share what has helped me start feeling like I am back in control and healthy coping mechanisms to use when things start taking a turn for the negative (turns out humor/sarcasm isn’t exactly on that list). But don’t you worry one bit because this entire episode has been the accelerant that my OCD craved. Much to my dismay, it is thriving. For example, today while driving home I was passed by two fire trucks when I was a mile or two away from my house. They were driving in the direction I go to get to my house (so not towards my house, there is a distinct difference) and I felt the panic start because surely my house was on fire and that is why those two fire trucks were driving in that direction.
I should know that the fire scenario highly unlikely because I unplugged almost everything before I left this morning (and was late, as usual) and made two additional trips to check that things were unplugged between my front door and my car. So yeah, blog content won’t be an issue.
For today I will leave you with this: since I am trying to have a more positive outlook on things, at the very least now I can say I’m the jolliest asshole this side of the nuthouse and it is a fact.
I know I used this in my last post but it was too good of an opportunity to use it again.
-A
If you are struggling with your mental health and need someone to talk to please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here to start an online chat for free and confidential support. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line via SMS message at 741-741 for free crisis intervention. *please note that the numbers listed above are available resources to those in the United States*
Well, well, well what do you know? Looks like my blog about OCD is actually getting back to being a blog about OCD. Today’s overshare (kidding, of course, seeing as how I do this willingly) is inspired by a post from my friend over at Yeah OCD.
I know the fears that fuel my anxiety (which turns into compulsive checking) are irrational. I know that. I know my front door is locked. I know I unplugged my curling iron. But what about the times where I didn’t unplug the curling iron? Or I accidentally let one of the cats out? Or I didn’t lock the door? Or check to make sure the burners on the stove were off? On the off chance one of my OCD fears becomes a reality, I don’t just go back to starting over. I go further back as if I started a race a few seconds early and was forced to move my starting line back in return (and, for the record, I don’t like participating in any event that involves a starting line).
Having to start over AND start further behind is incredibly difficult. The OCD won and it uses every opportunity to remind me of it.
OCD reminding me about that one time I forgot to do that one thing back in 2009 as I am walking to my car.
If I leave my curling iron on in the morning and discover it when I get home my first feeling isn’t reassurance that the house is fine and everything ended up being okay. It is a complete guilt trip turned panic attack because I didn’t check enough. Now, instead of checking 2 or 3 times before I can leave the house (and by that I mean leave the neighborhood because there have been many, many times where I turn around to go back and check before I’ve left the complex) I will check 4 or 5. And then, even after I am in the car, the OCD is in the back of my head reminding me about the time I left the curling iron on and plugged, even if it was years ago. There is no expiration date on these things, which I would argue is one of the hardest parts of living with OCD.
I am okay. I’ll just be sure to stress about this for eternity.
I actually left one of my cats out in 2011 and still, every time I leave the house will watch my feet as I open and close the door. Go back in and check to make sure she is in there. Look through the windows to see if she is still inside. It is a really, really crappy way to live. I know what I am doing is irrational but checking is the only thing that eases my anxiety. And if that doesn’t help then I have a backup plan.
On a completely unrelated and much happier note, today is the day after Thanksgiving which means only one thing: ya girl is decorating for Christmas. Some people spend their post-Thanksgiving time waiting for hours in line surrounded by strangers (my literal nightmare) to possibly, but probably not likely, get a deal on a new TV.
But not me. I freakin’ love decorating for Christmas. Come Friday my house will be filled with candles that smell like fresh cut Christmas trees, Elf and Christmas Vacation on repeat, and a custom holiday playlist that includes some of my favorite Christmas songs, such as this Hanson staple, anything from this album, and most definitely this 1994 classic.
Monday marked one month since losing my grandmother. Am I sad? Yes, but I am doing better than I expected. Those baby steps I wrote about before are starting to make a noticeable difference. The day she was buried there was a small rainbow that formed as my family and I were getting ready to leave. I saw an almost identical rainbow after I went to visit her on Saturday.
10/23/2018
11/17/2018
As you might already know from my previous post, the guilt I felt about not making that damn tomato soup haunted me. So on Friday I visited my amazingly talented tattoo artist, Josh, and got a permanent reminder of the good memories I have with my grandmother (and tomato soup). *a special shout out & thank you to Josh for waiting on me because I live in Atlanta so traffic is an unpredictable nightmare*
This was the day after I got it done if you couldn’t tell by the swelling and bruising.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to my family and friends, for their unconditional love and support, Taylor, for sticking with me during the lowest of lows I’ve hit, and last but certainly not least, you all for reading my blog and letting me know I’m not alone when it comes to my struggles. When I started this blog it was a way for me to share my experiences with OCD but it has evolved into me opening up about my anxiety and depression, which is not something I had ever really planned on doing. There have been many times in my life that I have felt like I was on an island when it came to mental health and starting this blog has shown me that even on my worst days I am not alone. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. Thank you for lovin’ me, thank you for bein’ there! Everyone’s thankin’! The whole world’s thankin’ you! Thankin’ us, for thankin’ you! What’s your Thanksgiving song?
-A
Also, if you haven’t started following me on Instagram…
I knew last week would be rough. I didn’t realize this week would give it a run for its money. Yesterday was the first day since October 18th that I didn’t cry. Don’t get me wrong, I found myself on the brink a few times but I am finally starting to feel like the massive blanket of depression that has been wrapped around my shoulders is starting to loosen. I can look at pictures of my grandmother without crying. I can remember the good times without (quite as much of) the guilt I felt for any of the free time I didn’t spend with her during her last weeks and days. Don’t get me wrong, I think we all need a good cry every now and then, but my eyes need a break. I’m starting to think I have entered a state of advanced dehydration due to the amount of crying (and occasional evening Bud Light Lime or four) I’ve done the past two weeks.
So, how did being thrown into the first week post-loss go for me? Less than stellar. The water to our entire complex was shut off Monday for emergency maintenance, so I sat on the couch like a potted plant instead of attempting to cross anything off of my to-do list (which started in July 2017 and has never been fully completed). I woke up Tuesday with a bit more pep in my step but it was quickly washed away once I got to work, where I was greeted with typical work things and promptly discovered the soup of the day was none other than tomato, which I’m pretty sure ya’ll already know didn’t go over well. I ended up using my lunch break to get cup of tomato soup and go to my car and cry. Because when life gives you lemons, what do you do? Go to your car and cry. Also, and this is small potatoes compared to the whole soup car crying thing, I have somehow managed grow an Olympus Mons (geography degree nerd humor, FTW!) sized zit on my face overnight Monday and it has truly flourished in the anxiety and stress ridden environment that is my life right now. Wednesday was definitely the highlight because, not only was it Halloween, it was my Super Awesome, Totally Rad Mom’s birthday!
Here is a pic of us from earlier in October with my brother, Dan, who is also pretty awesome.
Here is a comparison of my mom and me at the same age. Or maybe not. Could be the same baby.
Since you already saw our 2017 ‘stumes, here is a picture of me and T dressed up for Halloween in 2013. (I tried really hard to make that NOT rhyme but no matter what it ended up sounding like something from a Kidz Bop cover of a rap song.) Shake and bake, baby!
Thursday was a long day that began with accidentally branding my arm with a clothes steamer and now it is Friday. Finally. Here’s to hoping I don’t end up crying in my car during my lunch break next week. But if I do, that’s okay too.
one of the most painful realizations that comes with grieving is that our lives go on—and that has to be okay.
If anyone is struggling with returning to life as usual after a loss, this article was a huge help to me.
This is how I looked most of the week.
Now that you’re nice and sad, some exciting news: my blog surpassed 1,000 views!
Thank you all for taking time out of your day to read about lil’ ol’ me, the human equivalent of a houseplant but with more complicated emotions. The calamity that is my life doesn’t seem to be slowing down so I’m happy to continue supplying the masses with relatable content/content that will, at the very least, make you feel better about your own situation. Let’s keep this good thing going!
-A
….Now that I’m thinking about it, I probably account for around 25% of those views but whatever. Still counts.
**WOW WOW WOW my post has taken a turn for the better since I started putting it together! I took a break from writing to write this intro because I just found a party planning guide on the International OCD Foundation’s website and it DOES NOT disappoint!
TLDR: I’m using the Fundraising House Party Guide to plan a theoretical party to educate my friends and family on the intricacies of my OCD.
This picture was an accident but I feel like my twitching eye really needs to be on the internet forever. Also, the state of my desk is worth noting. And my reference to The Office.
Happy OCD Awareness week! I feel weird using the word happy here because I’m pretty certain that I would be a lot happier if I wasn’t dealing with OCD in the first place but… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As I predicted in last week’s post, I didn’t come up with anything fun or exciting this week. I did some research (took 5 minutes out of my lunch break to look at this website) to see get some inspiration. Unfortunately, my favorite one (host house party to raise funds) isn’t an option given that it is 2:00 on a Tuesday so I opted for social media and hashtags. And because I am all about transparency I also included some of the pictures (I took a lot. A. LOT) that I normally wouldn’t share because I look like such a dufus.
Doing it for the ‘gram. (@lfkiew)
oH mYy gOd i aM lYkE soOo OCD! *hair flip*
All super flattering pictures aside, I am really digging this OCD party planning guide. So much so that I am going to summarize it for all of you because it is #1 on my newly-created list of Things That Probably Don’t Need to Exist but Do Anyway.
Step 1: How to Host a Fundraising House Party
Here we learn that house parties can come in many forms. Is this a freshman year of college-style party? Will there be a keg involved? Jungle juice? Perhaps your friends would really love one of those murder mystery clue dinners that you briefly interrupt to request a monetary donation. It’s ok if you aren’t sure because this guide goes above and beyond by giving some suggestions. Pool party on a hot day? Wine and cheese gathering at your home? Sign. Me. Up.
Step 2: Steps to a Successful Fundraiser in Your Home
Two words: template invitations. Unless you want to be super OCD about the whole thing (see what I did there…) and create your own. Your invitation needs to mention that this party is a fundraiser and that there will be a presentation. Personally, I think I would take a different route and surprise all of my guests much like Michael does in the Dinner Party Episode. Consider including an envelope with your invitation (because instead of using an evite like the rest of human civilization you are sending it via dinosaur). Don’t forget to mention that donations are tax deductible. We don’t need the IRS asking why Susan tried to write off her $10 donation to the IOCDF. Last, but certainly not least, is to call and harass any guest who hasn’t sent an RSVP to let them know that their delivery dino is hoarding mail. As an added bonus, you can include your story on the invitation so that your guests know the ways OCD has impacted your life but also that you aren’t trying to scam them out of $10.
Page 5 shows the benefits of using Facebook, evites, and even Twitter (probably need to make this the first suggestion and not mailing a paper invite, my dudes. Also, why is the word ‘even’ in front of Twitter?) to help boost party attendance. For example, you can message a handful of your closest friends about your party so that it can get lost in a sea of Candy Crush invites and chain letters telling them to post the color of their bra to confuse all the men in social media land. One of my favorite tidbits is you can also “tweet” about it to your Twitter followers because anything with unnecessary quotation marks takes the sketch level to 11.
Step 3: Get That Money, Honey
First things first, make your guests put their name on a sign-in sheet when they arrive. That is a foolproof way to make sure they attend any future parties you throw. Have everyone crowd around you while you kill the party vibe by sharing your personal story about living with OCD. Once you’ve dug up enough anxiety by oversharing to all of your friends, have a respected and well-spoken member of the gathering (well, that eliminates almost anyone I invite to my parties) “call on the guests to make a donation.” What’s better than a guilt trip to donate money to a cause? Doing so in front of a group.
Okay, I am sold. Let’s do the damn thing.
Friends, please keep an eye out for my invitation. Though bear in mind that it might be a while until it arrives because I’ll be Fred Flinstoning these bad boys to ya’ll on evenings and weekends since I work full time.
Me pulling up to deliver your invite.
-A
*I know you all love my quick wit and sarcasm, and since I recognize my quick wit and sarcasm can come across as just me being a jerk, I made a donation to the Pediatric Campaign 4 Hope. One of my biggest coping mechanisms, for better or for worse, is humor.*
Obsessive Compulsive Diaries 